Wedge-supporting block for axle-boxes.



l. B. ABRAHAM. WEDGE SUPPORTING BLOCK FOR AXLE BOXES. APPLICATION FILEDOCT. 8. 1911.

Patented Jan. 22, 1918.

ISAAC IB. ABRAHAM, F NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA.

I WEDGE-SUPPORTINGBLOCK FOR AXLE-BOXES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 22, 1918.

Application filed October 8, 1917. Serial No. 195,424.

, To all whom it may concern:

Ill

Be it known that I, ISAAC B. ABRAHAM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Newport News, in the county of \Varwick and State ofVirginia, have invented a new and useful VVedge-Supporting Block forAxle-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention resides in certain improvements over the wedgesupporting block for axle boxes disclosed in my patent #l,133,082,granted March 23, 1916, the function of the block being to support andfirmly hold in place, the wedge of a locomotive driving or axle box.

/Vith the ordinary construction, the wedge not infrequently becomesloose, due to the loosening of the bolts holding it, resulting inserious conditions, such as the throwing out of adjustment of the leadand lap of the valve gear and consequent loss of fuel, the jarring ofthe steam pipes causing leakage, the jarring of the engine and springingof the rivets in the boiler causing leakage. the breakage of steambolts, the throwing of the drive wheels out of line causing undue wearon the wheel flanges, and other well known objections. By the provisionof the present device, the wedge is prevented from being accidentallyloosened in a. simple, yet thoroughly eificient and practical manner,without entailing any alterations or prohibitive expense in the drivingbox construction.

The invention has for a further object, the provision of a wedgesupporting block which can be readily increased in thickness to take upwear as the wedge is adjusted for that purpose, such increase inthickness of the block being readily accomplished by the insertion ofone or more shims, the parts of the block being held together by meansof pins which need not be renewed or replaced, as in the patenteddevice, as the block 1s 1ncreased in thickness.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the inventioncan be made within the scope of what isclaimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the @0601]? panying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the driving or axle box frame showingthe block disposed. under the wedge. I

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

The usual driving box frame is shown in the drawing consisting of theupper and lower braces 5 and 6, respectively, the pedestal legs 7 and 8between them, and a pedestal cap or hinder 9 bolted, as at 10, to thelower brace 6. A shoe 11 is fastened to the leg 7, and the wedge 12 fitsthe leg 8, being pro vided with side flanges 13 overlapping the oppositesides of the leg 8, so that the wedge straddles said leg. 'The wedge isprovided at its lower larger end with a T-shaped groove 14.- extendingtransversely therethrough for the reception of the head 15 at the upperend of a vertical wedge adjusting bolt 16 that extends downwardlythrough the binder 9 of the frame and through an underlying tongue orbracket 17 carried by the binder. Nuts 18 are threaded on the bolt 16above and below the tongue 17 for adjusting said bolt to raise and lowerthe wedge and hold it in any adjusted position. These nuts com monlybecome loose, however, due to the vibration and flow of lubricant fromthe driv ing box to said. nuts, so that the wedge becomes displaced,resulting in the above mentioned and other objections.

The wedge supporting block is designated generally by the numeral 20.and has the same general function as the block dis closed in saidpatent-that of firmly supporting the wedge 12 in its adjusted position,and preventing the loosening thereof. This block 20 is disposedunderneath the wedge above the binder 9 of the frame, to be clampedbetween the larger lower end of the wedge and binder.

The block 20 is composed of upper and lower plate-like sections 21 and22 parallel with one another and having their remote or opposite facesroughened or toothed throughout, as at 23 and 24, respectively, wherebythe upper teeth 23 of the section 21 bite the lower end of the wedge,while the lower teeth 24; of the section 22 bite the binder or framemember 9, when the block is clamped between the wedge and binder, thusfirmly holding the block in place against accidental displacement. Theblock 20 is of greater length than the Width of the binder 9, so thatthe ends of the block project beyond and overhang the sides of thebinder, as seen in Fig. 2, giving room for the means which hold theparts of the block assembled, as will hereinafter more fully appear. Toincrease the thickness of the block, as the wedge 12 is raised, to takeup wear, one or more shims or spacer plates 25 of the same outline asthe block sections are disposed or sandwiched between the sections ofthe block. Theshims 25 are added from time to time, to increase thethickness of the block as the wedge is raised, and said shims can bereadily added and removed as needed.

In order to hold the block sections and shims in position againstrelative misplacement, the block section 21, block section 22 and shims25 are provided with the respective apertures 26, 27 and 28 at theirends and in vertical alinement, the apertures 26 being of largerdiameter than the others. Pins 29 are inserted through said apertures,thereby preventing the parts of the blocks from shifting relatively, andsaid pins have heads 30 at their upper ends fitting within the apertures26 and seating on the uppermost shim 25, to support said pins. The pins29 can be of sufficient length to extend through the parts of the blockwhen it is of maximum thickness, and when the block is of less thicknessthe pins 29 can depend from the block at the opposite sides of thebinder 9, as seen in Fig. 2, said pins being raised as the block isincreased in thickness. Thus, the two pins 29 will suiiice for allthicknesses of the block. The sections and shims of the block areprovided between their ends with laterally opening recesses 31 facingthe pedestal leg 8 for the reception of the bolt 16, thereby permittingthe block to be readily moved into place toward the leg 8 under thewedge. The parts-of the block are of extremely hard metal to resist anycompression or shrinkage, and to also avoid wear on the teeth, so thatthe teeth will effectively bite the wedge and frame due to the pressureof the wedge on the block.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In an axle box construction, a wedge supporting block having a wedgebolt rece1v1ng recess.

2. In an axle box construction, a wedge supporting blockcomprisingsections and a shim therebetween, said sections and shimhaving wedge bolt receiving recesses.

3. The combination with an axle box frame, a wear adjusting wedgefitting it, and an adjusting bolt connected to the wedge, of a Wedgesupporting block between the wedge. and frame having a recess toaccommodate said bolt.

4. The combination with an axle box frame, a wear adjusting wedgefitting it, and means between the wedge and frame for. adjusting thewedge, of a wedge supporting block between the wedge and frame having arecess for accommodating said means.

5. The combination with an axle box frame, a wear adjustingjwedgefitting it, and adjusting means between the wedge and frame, of a wedgesupporting block between the wedge and frame comprising sections and ashim therebetween, the sections and shim each having a recess foraccommodating said means. 7

6. The combination with an ax e box frame, a wear adjusting wedgefitting it, and a wedge adjusting bolt, of a wedge sup porting blockbetween the wedge and frame, com prising sections and a shimtherebetween, said sections and. shim each having a recess foraccommodating said bolt. g

7.-In an axle box construction, a sectional wedge supporting block,.anddetachable retaining means extending from one section beyond the otherto accommodate different thicknesses of the block. 7

8. In an axle box construction, a wedge supporting block adapted to beincreased in thickness, and detachable retaining means for the block inall of its thicknesses from the minimum to the maximum.

9. In an axle box construction, awedge supporting block comprisingsections, means to be disposed therebetween for varying the thickness ofthe block, anddetachable retaining means for the parts of the block andarranged to accommodate all thicknesses thereof. l f

10. In an axle box construction, a wedge supporting block comprisingsections, eans disposable between the sections for varying the thicknessof the block, and detachable retaining means extending from one sectionbeyond the other for holding the parts of the block relatively inposition and accommodating all thicknesses of the block.

11. In an axle box construction, a wedge supporting block of sectionalconstruction to increase its thickness, and a detachable retaining pinextending through the block beyond the same for accommodating allthicknesses thereof.

12. In an axle box construction, a wedge supporting block of sectionalconstruction to increase its thickness, a detachable reta-ining pinextending through the block beyond the same for accommodating allthicknesses thereof, and means for supporting the pin.

13. In an axle box construction, a wedge supporting block of sectionalconstruction to increase its thickness, and a retaining pin extendingthrough the block beyond the same for accommodating all thicknessesthereof, the pin having a head seatable in the block for supporting it.

14. In an axle box construction, a wedge supporting block comprisingsections, means disposable therebetween for varying the thickness of theblock, said sections and means having apertures, and means insertible insaid apertures and projectable from one section to retain the partsinplace in the various thicknesses of the block.

15. In an axle box construction, a wedge supporting block comprisingsections, a shim therebetween, said sections and shim having aliningapertures, and a pin insert ible through said apertures and beyond oneblock section for accommodating all thicknesses of the block.

16. In an axle box construction, a wedge supporting block comprisingsections, a shim therebetween, said sections and shim having aliningapertures, and a pin insertible through said apertures and beyond oneblock section for accommodating all thicknesses of the block, theaperture of one block section being larger than the others and the pinhaving a head in said larger aperture.

17. In an axle box construction, an adjustable wedge supporting blockcomprising sections, and detachable retaining means at the opposite endsthereof for holding the sections in relative position in all thicknessesof the block.

18. In an axle box construction, an adjustable wedge supporting blockcomprising sections, and retaining means at the opposite ends thereoffor holding the sections in relative position in all thicknesses of theblock, the block having a wedge bolt receiving recess between its ends.

19. In an axle box construction, a wedge supporting block comprisingsections, means disposable therebetween to increase the thickness of theblock, and pins insertible through the block for holding the sectionsthereof in relative position and located at the ends of the block.

20. In an axle box construction, a wedge supporting block comprisingsections, means disposable therebetween to increase the thickness of theblock, and pins insertible through the block for holding the sectionsthereof in relative position and located at I the ends of the block,said pins projecting from the block opposite to the wedge engag ing faceto accommodate all thicknesses of the block.

21. In an axle box construction, a wedge supporting block comprisingwedge and frame engaging sections, means disposable therebetween forvarying the thickness of the block, said sections and means havingalining apertures at their ends, and pins insertible through saidapertures and projecting beyond the frame engaging section, theapertures of the wedge engaging section being larger than the others,and the pins having heads in said larger apertures.

22. The combination with an axle box frame and wedge fitting it, of anadjustable wedge supporting block between the wedge and frame and formedof sections, and retaining means for the sections of the block extendingtherefrom at one side of the frame to accommodate all thicknesses of theblock.

23. The combination with an axle box frame and wedge fitting it, of awedge supporting block betweenthe wedge and frame comprising sections,means dlsposable between the sections for increasing the thickness ofthe block, and pins supported by and extending through the parts of theblock and extending therefrom at opposite sides of the frame toaccommodate all thicknesses of the block.

24. The combination with an axle box frame, a wedge fitting it, and aWedge ad justing means, of a wedge supporting block between the wedgeand comprising wedge and frame engaging sections, a shim between thesections, said sections and shim each having a recess to accommodatesaid means, the sections and shim having alining apertures at theirends, and pins inserted through said apertures and projecting beyond theframe engagin section at the opposite side of the frame foraccommodating different thicknesses of the block, the wedge engagingsection having larger apertures than the others, and the pins havingheads in said larger apertures.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signaturn in the presence of two witnesses.

ISAAC B. ABRAHAM.

Witnesses F. M. BARRETT, Jnnrns T. /Vnson.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each. by addressingthe Commissioner or Patents, Washington, I). G.

